An engrossing history of the Great War’s reception within Ireland, including its initial enthusiasm, subsequent dismissal, and final re-evaluation

This timely and compelling book records the experiences of Irishmen from South County Dublin who fought in the First World War while also accounting for the lives of their families who remained at home. Principally a social history, the main body of the book is broken up into seven chapters that each disclose the history of a particular district in South Dublin. These local histories expand upon the background of the families subsequently related, providing a fascinating portrait of the lives that soldiers left behind. The Roll of Honour covers individuals with riveting life stories and tales of anecdotal intrigue; families of interesting power and wealth are included such as the great merchant families of Dublin at the time - the Dockrells, Findlaters, Lees, Martins and McCormicks.

The book also provides an illuminating history of Ireland's involvement in the First World War generally—how the war and its fighters have been subsequently recognised within Irish society. Reasons for enlistment; the effect of Gallipoli and the Easter Rising; examples of how ex-British servicemen were treated when they returned home to Ireland following the end of the war; all is accounted for in this fascinating history that highlights the enduring contentions related to Ireland's involvement in the Great War.

Table of Contents Foreword by Brigadier-General David David O'Morchoe C.B. C.B.E. Introduction

1. Tens of thousands of Irishmen volunteer to fight in the Great War. Gallipoli and Easter Rising affect recruiting. The end of the war on 11th November 1918. The early years of the new state. Late twentieth century brings a new dawning and a change in attitudes. The President of Ireland to the fore in the task of remembrance and reconciliation. History and roll of honour